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Legal Terms of the Month...Deposition and Pro Se

A deposition is the oral testimony of a party or witness in a civil or a criminal proceeding that is taken before trial and it takes place most often at an attorney's office. An attorney asks the questions and the deponent, the person being asked questions, responds to those questions. These questions and answers are recorded by a court reporter/ and or videographer and become testimony.

Deposition testimony is generally taken under oath so the court reporter and deponent sign affidavits that state the testimony is accurate. The testimony is then transcribed into a written transcript and used as a discovery tool by attorneys to prepare for trial

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To act "pro se" in a legal claim means that you are representing yourself without the help of an attorney. For those people who do file cases on their own behalf, it is important to understand that the court still expects pro se filer to follow all the rules and procedures that an attorney would follow.

If you or someone you know is thinking of acting pro se in a legal issue, it is worthwhile to talk with an attorney at our firm. You may be able to get some guidance or discover that you really do need the help of an attorney. One thing you certainly don't want to have happen is getting in over your head with a legal situation without an attorney being able to help you.

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